THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 5, 1996 TAG: 9603050009
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 30 lines
It occurred to me recently that HMOs just add another layer to the health-care process.
We pay our premiums to Medicare Part B and to our auxiliary health-insurance policy. Then, as we need their services, Medicare and our auxiliary policy pay our doctors, nursing home and hospitals.
When HMOs are involved, they take their cut and act as ``middle men.'' For doing what?
Medicare has already indicated how much it will allow for each service, and this fee is usually in accordance with a ``fee schedule.'' Each doctor has either accepted or rejected assignment. In my recent illness, not a single doctor rejected assignment, which indicated to me that they did not consider the ``fee schedule'' unfair, although sometimes the fee had been halved.
I don't need an HMO as a ``middle man.'' I hope I shall never be forced to use one.
VIRGINIA D. DUTTON
Virginia Beach, Feb. 26, 1996 by CNB